Volume 15, Issue 8 www.ValenciaVoice.com
March 14, 2012
By Marianella Zapata Noriega mzapatanoriega@valenciavoice.com
Ten Valencia College students and members of the Voyage magazine staff traveled to London during spring break to complete a week long global immersion in journalism study abroad class. The ten students, which were lead by professor Ken Carpenter, got to tour the newsrooms of Wall Street Journal Europe,
The Guardian, CNBC, as well as meet with editors from all the mentioned news outlets for a one-on-one lesson on the everyday functions of their operations.
The speakers also included Marc Settle, a journalist with the BBC College of
Journalism, who spoke about the importance of global journalism and the new applications available to journalist in order to broadcast from anywhere while still maintaining studio quality. Erica Buist, a graduate student at City University in London, spoke to the class about life as a higher level journalism student, the demands of a real world journalism job and the importance of internships.
Teams for the FIRST Robotics competition positioned and pre-load their robotic creations before the start of the game at UCF Arena on Saturday March 10.
By James Tutten jtutten@valenciavoice.com
The Florida regional engagement of the
FIRST Robotics competition took control of the UCF Arena last weekend. Seemingly inspired by NBA All-Stars, the robots came out to shoot basketballs for points in this year’s ever evolving game.
Robotic teams from around the nation and world have only had a few months to design and build a robot using the given parameters. Teams are based around high school students interested in science and engineering and led by mentors and technological advisors. Teams are also supported by a number of sponsors to help cover the high cost of building the robots and entrance fees into the regional competition.
This year’s game, entitled “Rebound
Rumble,” raises the challenge of scoring points by remotely shooting small basketballs into one of several hoops. Rounds start with a brief fully automated segment for prepositioned, fully loaded and properly calibrated ‘bots’ to attempt the equivalent of a free throw before the real action begins.
Once the automated time is up, teams are allowed to remote control their creations in
L-R: Sarah Pariseau, Ariel Austin, Marianella Zapata Noriega, Francesca Fey, Shay Castle. Top, left to right: Anisha Tandon, Amanda Adrianna, Edward Mueller, Jeff Shedden, Juan Gutierrez
Top L-R: Courtesy of lewisblack.com; James Tutten / Valencia Voice;

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NEWS
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order to scoop up small basketballs and shoot them into several baskets on their side of the playing field.
Changes in height and sizes vary the points earned by scoring goals, and more advanced robots piloted by skilled operators were able to make several successful points during the round.
This challenge in scoring points is far different from the theme of last year’s game involving placing small inflatable rings onto raised hangers. Teams have to find a proper calibration and positioning to aim and fire projectiles at rapid succession.
The end of each round has an optional bridge battle for earning extra points for the final team score.
Robots fight for position on shifting platforms and have to work strategically to ensure if going for the bridge or for more points is worth the time allowed.
As is customary, alliances are formed between teams of three robotic groups as they battle into later eliminating rounds of the competition. Through a long elimination process, teams have several chances to reach the final rounds, and everyone is ensured a fair opportunity to try and finish in the top positions. It’s only after this complex robot bracketing that the final trophies are awarded and everyone rolls up their power cords and heads home.
This event also ends with a diverse award ceremony to encourage teamwork and creativity for robotic teams that don’t place in the top spots and go on to the district competitions and final championship. Awarding those that don’t necessarily win helps to encourage a continued love for science and interest in technology.
F.I.R.S.T (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), is meant to inspire the youth for what the field of science and technology has to offer for future employment. Scholarship opportunities are another strong element of FIRST with 925 scholarships offering more than $14.7 million in aid this year.
There are also additional benefits for college students that are returning members in the program that help as mentors for the new members to the robotic teams.
Major corporations like Lockheed Martin, Walt Disney, and NASA help sponsor and look for potential employees throughout the entire program.
March 14, 2011
“When I graduate, I plan to study physics and hopefully go on to graduate school,” said Andy Murray, a high school senior from Port St. Johns. “Everything I’ve learned here is totally applicable to what
I’m interested in, and has really helped to inspire me.”
The FIRST competition receives a lot of attention in Florida because the competition started in the Kennedy Space Center in 1992. NASA, the head supporter of this competition, has strong local ties to the Central
Florida area. And with the future of space exploration more focused on semi-autonomous, unmanned exploration robots, groups working in this field have a real applicable use for this type of innovation.
But the message is not solely focused on robotics, and many of those involved are just generally enthused about the future innovations of technology and science.
“I’m looking to get involved with particle physics when I graduate, not really robotics,” said Jordan
Gogolen a junior at East Ridge High School. “I’ve made a lot of friends through my time with FIRST robotics; it’s really a great program all around.”
Several of the best robotics teams from around the world will eventually compete in the FIRST championship at the end of April in
St. Louis. For more information on this program and it’s many scholarship opportunities visit their web site at www.usfirst.org.
Dan Richardson introduces teams during the competition.
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( 8 8 8 - 6 3 9 - 2 2 7 3 )
For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at info.herzing.edu.

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By Christopher Goffard
Los Angeles Times
Even after decades of well-documented murder and plunder, even after the International Criminal Court indicted him and a U.S. president dispatched a special forces team to help catch him, African warlord Joseph Kony remained largely obscure to the West.
That changed with startling swiftness this week, with the viral proliferation of a smoothly produced 29-minute video, “Kony 2012,” that calculatedly taps the power of social media in an effort to make the fugitive leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army a meme of misery.
Francis Ochaya served twelve years with the
Rebels, and personal escort for Joseph Kony.
By Thursday, three days after its release on
YouTube, the video had been viewed 40 million times, fueled by Tweets from celebrities including Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey and P. Diddy.
“Can I tell you the bad guy’s name?” Jason
Russell, co-founder of the San Diego-based nonprofit Invisible Children, asks his young son in the video. Russell then shows him
Kony’s photograph, and explains to viewers that the LRA abducts children like him for use as sex slaves and child soldiers. Then he inveighs against the possible withdrawal of
U.S. troops sent by President Barack Obama last year to help African troops catch Kony.
The video marks the latest example of how social media have transformed political activism, a phenomenon seen in events including Obama’s election and the “Arab
Spring” uprisings. The video’s popularity reflects the power of Facebook and Twitter to galvanize a generation moved by vivid, instantly downloadable images and the entreaties of celebrities.
But it reflects, too, how quickly the same online universe can erupt with countermessages. No sooner had “Kony 2012” gone wildly viral than critics on the blogosphere were attacking it for a host of perceived sins, from sentimentality to Western arrogance to dangerous oversimplification.
“The war is much more complex than just one man called Joseph Kony,” Ugandan journalist Rosebell Kagumire argued in a
YouTube video, describing the Invisible Children video as the work of “an outsider trying to be a hero, rescuing African children.”
Ugandan blogger Musa Okwonga wrote that he was stunned to find people tweeting furiously about his country. His mother’s family is from Gulu in Northern Uganda, which became infamous as a target of Kony’s violence, though the warlord fled the coun-
NEWS try years ago.” “All of a sudden, my family’s region was famous, or, at least, trending on
Twitter. What was all this about?” he wrote in a blog in the Independent.
The Invisible Children group was founded in 2003 by three California film students moved by their experiences with the victims of war in Africa. It occupies a full floor in a San Diego high-rise where, on Thursday, some 30 college-age workers were answering phones in an office resembling a boiler room. The phones rang persistently with people asking how they could help.
Photos of child soldiers hung on the walls, along with signs that read “Remove
Joseph Kony from the battlefield.”
“We’re at a place of deep emotion, humility and thankfulness that this is finally catching on,” said Lauren Bailey, the movement coordinator. Each semester, she said, the group sends out about 100 college interns to spread the word about Kony, whom she called “the worst living criminal in Central Africa.”
The massive response to the video has stunned better-known humanitarian groups that have worked for years to draw attention to Kony’s atrocities. “We didn’t get celebrities going onto Twitter,” said Anneke Van Woudenberg, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, which produced its own video on the subject.
“In our video, we tried to get Africans to describe their experiences in their own words.
But often, people will pay less attention when an African person tells the story.”
Jonathan Taplin, a documentary filmmaker and professor at the University of
Southern California, described the video as
“wonderfully done” and said critics were forgetting that it is the work of activists, rather than of journalists obliged to say “on the one hand, on the other hand.”
“There are activist documentary filmmakers all over the world, and all of a sudden they’ve got new tools,” Taplin said. “It used to take you months, if not years, to get a documentary distributed.”
Last October, Obama sent a 100-man special forces team to Uganda with orders to train the central African country’s military to pursue the Lord’s Resistance Army and specifically to help them capture Kony.
Three other countries in the region _
Central African Republic, Congo and South
Sudan, are receiving U.S. aid for their help in the effort and the American troops are also now employed in those countries. Pentagon officials insist the U.S. team is not conducting its own operations to capture
Kony. “They’re there to train and advise the
Uganda military,” said Lt. Col. James Gregory, a Pentagon spokesman.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland suggested that the team was not going to be pulled out soon. “They’ve only been in for a couple of months, and we consider them a very important augmentation of our effort to help the East and Central African countries with this problem,” she said.
Next month, Invisible Children plans a
“cover the night” event to dispense T-shirts, bracelets, bumper stickers and buttons in major cities, in part to maintain pressure on Washington to maintain its limited troop presence.
Mamood Mamdani, a Columbia University professor who has studied the region, said some Ugandans worry that the video could actually trigger further bloodshed.
“We all know that the inevitable result of military activity is that civilians get hurt,” he said, cautioning against the influence of
“millions of well-meaning and well-intentioned but ill-informed people.”
Some, such as Joshua Keating on Foreign-
Policy.com, stressed that Kony hasn’t been in
Uganda for six years, and is now believed to be in the Central African Republic. “Unfortunately, it looks like meddlesome details like where Kony actually is aren’t important enough for Invisible Children to make sure its audience understands,” he wrote.
Nuland, on the other hand, praised the video. “Certainly we appreciate the efforts of the group Invisible Children to shine a light on the horrible atrocities of the LRA.”
— MCT Campus
March 14, 2012
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NEWS
March 14, 2012
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People pray for victims on March 11, in Fukushima, Japan, the earthquake triggered the world’s worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
By Takehiko Kambayashi
DPA
Japan on Sunday marked the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in the northeastern part of the country that triggered the world’s worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
More than 19,000 people died or went missing in the March 11 twin natural disasters, which also destroyed more than
370,000 houses.
Many roads have since been rebuilt and most debris has been cleaned up, but 260,000 people still live in temporary housing in the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
The country commemorated the victims with a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m., the time the quake struck the region. Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko and Prime
Minister Yoshihiko Noda attended a government-led memorial service in Tokyo.
“It is my hope that the people’s hearts will always be with the afflicted people and the afflicted regions, and that everyone will continue to work towards improving the conditions of those areas,” the emporer said.
Akihito also expressed his gratitude for the support that Japan had received from all over the world. “Many people overseas responded to the disaster by sending us relief teams and offering us help in various ways,” he said. “I am deeply grateful to the kindnesses shown by the people around the world.”
Critics say the recovery has been painfully slow and the authorities have squeezed most of the disaster victims into tiny prefabricated housing units located far from city centers. Noda, however, pledged a speedy recovery of the disasterhit regions.
The nuclear crisis forced more than
80,000 residents to leave areas around the
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which went into meltdown after it was struck by the tsunami. A series of fires and blasts led to massive release of radioactive substances into the environment.
The government set up a no-go zone
12.5 miles around the plant in late April.
“Those living in areas designated as the danger zone lost their homes and livelihoods and had to leave the places they used to live,” the emperor said. “In order for them to live there again safely, we have to overcome the problem of radioactive contamination, which is a formidable task.”
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said Friday that human error had played a significant role in the nuclear disaster at the plant operated by Tokyo
Electric Power Co. “One reason that allowed the unfolding of the accident was the lack of independence of the regulatory body in Japan. The Japanese regulatory body was not robust enough, and the oversight over the operator was weak,” Amaya said.
Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety
Agency is under the control of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which had been promoting nuclear power generation.
On Sunday, anti-nuclear protests were held around the country, including one in
Koriyama in Fukushima prefecture. The biggest was in Tokyo, where 10,000 people attended, according to organizers.
— MCT Campus
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko bow their heads upon their arrival on March 11.
A girl prays for victims in during a tribute to the estimated 19,000 people killed from the 2011 tsunami.

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NEWS
By David Sarno
Los Angeles Times
Apple Inc. rolled out its latest iPad, but it's not called iPad 3 or iPad HD.
Rather it stuck with simply calling it the iPad, a move that speaks to the company's ambitions to have its blockbuster tablet supplant the ubiquitous personal computer.
In unveiling the upgraded iPad on Wednesday, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook repeated the theme that the difference between PCs and tablets would soon vanish, and that the iPad was the "poster child for the post-PC world."
Analysts who saw the presentation tended to agree.
"The iPad is encroaching more and more on the kinds of tasks that we've historically associated with PCs," said Ross Rubin, an analyst at
NPD Group.
Apple showed a number of new features for the latest iPad, including sophisticated photo and video editing and games featuring powerful graphics, that have been a mainstay of bulkier PCs.
Aligning the iPad more closely with the PC may also be a way to continue its world dominance of the tablet market. Apple's iPad accounts for 70 percent of the tablet market and has sold 55 million units in two years.
Cook, who strolled the stage in an untucked button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, perhaps an attempt to reflect the casual manner of his predecessor, Steve Jobs, showed he was not afraid to take a swipe at his competitors. Flashing up images of a Samsung Electronics tablet running
Google Inc.-powered Android software, Cook said the software looked unimaginative and lackluster.
"It kind of looks like a blown-up smartphone app," Cook said, "because that's exactly what it is."
IPad competitors from Samsung, HTC Corp., LG and others have had trouble catching up. The only device to win more than a sliver of the market has been Amazon's much cheaper $199 Kindle Fire, which accounted for 14 percent of tablets shipped during the fourth quarter.
But with an updated iPad, Apple is looking to widen the gap once again.
The company highlighted the iPad's new screen, which it called
"resolutionary" because of its high-definition, photo- and videofriendly display.
The new device, which will start at $499, also carries a faster computer processor for powerful graphics, includes a 5-megapixel camera and works with faster 4G wireless networks from Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc.
PC sales have been flat in recent years, while tablet sales have been growing rapidly. They are expected to double globally this year, to about 120 million from 60 million in 2011, according to research firm
IHS ISuppli.
The iPad's new features were largely as rumored, although the new device did not include Siri, the iPhone's voice-controlled assistant. The device does, however, offer a voice transcription feature, enabling users to dictate emails and the text of documents.
The lack of an explosive new feature, or a fancy new name, did not bother Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps.
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Apple releases its third iPad 25 months after starting the tablet-computing revolution.
Many Apple observers, including the technology media, "want
Apple to invent something that makes cars fly and has mind control,"
Epps said, but for average consumers, "Apple has probably met and exceeded their expectations."
Consumer demand for the new device seemed high, causing Apple's
Web page for early iPad orders to load slowly and make it difficult for some to buy a device. The iPad will be available in stores March 16.
In October, Apple introduced its latest iPhone only to encounter a wave of criticism that the device was too similar to the previous model.
But the iPhone 4S went on to become a huge hit, selling a record 37 million units in one quarter and quieting some of the naysayers.
The rollout Wednesday had the air of a rock concert, with satellite trucks and news vans lining the street in front of the event center where
Apple unveiled the device. Tourists loitered on the sidewalk, snapping photos of a massive, multicolored Apple banner.
The company also lowered the price of the iPad 2 model to $399, probably to compete with lower-priced offerings from rivals.
Apple also announced a newer version of its Apple TV, the $99 set-top box that enables users to stream films and television shows. The newer
Apple TV will offer much higher definition 1080p resolution.
— MCT Campus

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NEWS
March 14, 2011
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By Jon Stephenson
McClatchy Newspapers
A high-level Afghan delegation came under fire from suspected Taliban insurgents on Tuesday while visiting the site of Sunday’s massacre of 16 civilians by a U.S. soldier.
One Afghan soldier was killed in the attack on the delegation, which included two brothers of Afghan President Hamid Karzai as well as the governor of Kandahar province, the Afghan army chief and other senior officials. None of the Afghan officials was reported harmed.
Two other soldiers were wounded in the shooting, which came as the delegation members were preparing to leave the village of Najiban, where 11 of the 16 civilians were killed in Sunday’s rampage.
In Washington, President Obama condemned
Sunday’s incident, calling it “outrageous” and
“unacceptable,” and vowed that the Pentagon would conduct a thorough investigation.
But he said that it wouldn’t force an acceleration of his administration’s plan to halt U.S. combat operations by the end of 2014 and transfer security responsibilities to Afghan forces.
“We have a strategy that will allow us to responsibly wind down this war. We’re steadily transitioning to the Afghans who are moving into the lead. And that’s going to allow us to bring our troops home,” Obama said.
The attack Tuesday on the delegation showed, however, that insurgents continue to disrupt even the most well guarded affairs.
A McClatchy Newspapers reporter, the only
Western journalist at the scene, heard multiple gunshots and a number of explosions during a roughly
30-minute attack.
The assailants apparently were firing heavy machine guns, among other weapons, from long range at a group that included Abdul Qayum Karzai and
Shah Wali Karzai.
Afghan security sources said the attackers had fired from the neighboring village of Alkozai, more than one mile away, where the other five Afghans in Sunday’s attack were killed.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s shooting, which came despite a massive operation to secure the village for the delegation’s visit.
Dozens of soldiers, police officers and bodyguards, many heavily armed, had flooded the area, and U.S. armored vehicles and helicopters were also close by.
The attack came as U.S. military officials prepared to file charges against the lone suspect in the shooting, a 38-year-old Army staff sergeant who had survived three tours in Iraq before deploying to Afghanistan a few months ago.
Hours before Tuesday’s shooting, the Taliban vowed to exact revenge for the killings of civilians, warning the United States in a statement that its fighters” shall cut off the heads of your murderous sadistic troops in every corner of the country.”
Speaking after Tuesday’s shooting, the chief of staff of the Afghan National Army, Gen. Sher
Mohammad Karimi, downplayed the incident, saying, “it’s not of great significance.”
However, the fact that the assailants pierced a heavily secured area, in a district of Kandahar, Panjway, thought to be under tight control by coalition forces, suggested “a very strong attack,” according to another Afghan officer.
“We were very lucky,” said Maj. Gen. Sardar
Mohammad Abul Fazel. “If the security hadn’t been good, more people would have been killed.
— MCT Campus
Nearby. Online. ucfvalenciaosceola.com ucfvalenciawest.com

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OPINION
By Fred Lambert flambert@valenciavoice.com
With gas at $3.75 per gallon, it isn’t surprising that about half of all Americans support oil drilling and production in the United States. But the urge toward quick fixes plagues modern society more and more with fleeting attention spans and near-instant access to everything.
The reality is that humans need to wean themselves off of oil and onto greener technology before all of the reserves are gone and the environment is damaged beyond repair.
The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a shortlived tragedy in the hearts and minds of Americans. In only two short years the mess has become a backwater issue. Americans are more concerned with the present, specifically with getting the economy robust again.
In that sense, offshore drilling and Canadian pipelines make sense. But some argue that offshore drilling in particular may not provide the relief to gas prices that Americans think it will.
In an article published in the Scientific American,
Emily Getz reported that the MMS (Minerals Management Service, a part of the Department of the Interior) estimates 18 billion barrels of oil in the untapped coastal reserves, compared to the 10 billion known of and 86 billion more figured to be in Alaskan, Gulf of Mexico and southern Californian wells already being pulled from.
Calculated with the 7.6 billion barrels of oil the U.S. consumes in one year alone, the off-limit areas that are up for debate can provide only a few years of reprieve and probably little improvement in the price per gallon. And that’s just assuming that it is all extracted without incidents like the one that struck the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
But despite the effective recovery from the BP oil spill, the damage done should have been a warning about the dangers unfettered drilling in thousands of feet of water present. According to a 2010 report by the US Coast
Guard commandant, Admiral R.J. Papp, about 4.9 billion barrels of oil gushed into the Gulf of Mexico by July 2010,
19 times that of the Exxon-Valdez spill of 1989.
According to Popular Mechanics magazine, this is equivalent to almost 206 million gallons, an amount that contaminated some 665 miles of coastline.
Aside from this glaring tragedy on offshore drilling’s track-list, the general effects of burned fossil fuels on the environment is a threat that is well-documented. Besides oil spills, fossil fuel consumption is also a direct cause of acid rain, global warming and deteriorating air quality, according to the Union of
Concerned Scientists. They also point out that levels of carbon dioxide, a gas that traps heat in the atmosphere, have risen 25 percent in the last 150 years.
While some debate the severity of global warming, a majority of scientists agree that it is adversely affecting the earth. And even if the planet isn’t warming at extreme rates, there is still the pitfall of air pollution.
“It’s all ferns and dinosaurs,” said activist Bill
McKibben on the Colbert Report, after host Stephen
Colbert challenged his opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline with the question, “All of that oil is 100 percent certified organic, is it not?”
March 14, 2012
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“The trouble is we’re taking 200 million years of it, and putting it into the atmosphere at once,” McKibben said.Lung cancer is the top killer among cancers in the world, according to the Center for Disease Control, with almost 160,000 fatalities in America in 2007.
The exhaust emissions from burned fossil fuels like diesel are known carcinogens.
Additionally, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences funded a study at the University of California which found that lengthy exposure to vehicular pollutants and fossil fuel emissions could “hinder lung development and limit breathing capacity for a lifetime.”
And while many Americans are skeptical (or willingly complacent) about the damage global warming is actually causing or the rate at which respiratory disease is increasing, the well-being of future generations should not be disregarded.
Green technologies seem distant, but they hold the best bet for a future on this planet. Many of them, including wind, electric and solar are viable in many forms already; it’s just a matter of rallying behind them and driving forward, rather than advancing an unsustainable system because it’s the easiest option in the present.
The discovery of massive natural gas deposits in the
Appalachian area is creating a boomtown of sorts in Ohio.
Oil Response Team member cleans the webbed foot of an oiled sea bird at the Wildlife Rescue Center in California.

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OPINION
March 14, 2012
8
“I think they should, because it will help the gas prices go down for everyone.”
— David Miller
“I have to say no, because there is other places you can drill. We have to protect our environment here.”
— Trevor Wixted
“No, I think people can do a lot more to save gas. People drive all the time when they don’t have to.”
— Christopher Secrest
“Yes they should, because it’s only getting worse. I spend 50 dollars a week just to get to school.”
— Bonnie Moncrief
“There are other ways to lower the price rather than drilling offshore which is bad for the environment.”
— Calvin Witt
“I think they should. As a student my whole paycheck is going into my gas tank and I still need to eat.”
— Erlanda Beauge
“I don’t see a problem with it, as long as they make sure no accidents happen.”
— Kevin Rocha
“It may lower prices it’s still not a good thing with the environment.
You can see past examples of that.”
— Edward Manti
“Yes I think we should drill now.
If they drill now we will end up saving money in the long run.”
— Laura Joseph
“I think they should. So we don’t need to have relations with other countries fighting for foreign oil.”
— Jessica Bayly

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OPINION
March 14, 2012
9
Editor-in-chief
News Editor
Sports Editor
Editorial Director
Events Editor
Copy Editor
Advertisement Director
Web Editor
Photo Editor
Mary Stevens
James Tutten
Bryan Levine
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Fred Lambert
Jeremy Williams
Brittany Rose
Christopher Ortega
Mike Gramajo Lawrence Laguna
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Member, Associated Collegiate Press
The opinions expressed are those of the Valencia Voice, its staff members and contributors, and are not necessarily those of Valencia
College, its staff, faculty, or student body.

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FEATURES
By Neda Hamdan nhamdan@valenciavoice.com
Wouldn’t it be interesting to watch a movie that was filmed in one single take?
Based on the Uruguayan film La Casa
Muda, Silent House is based on true events that occurred in the 1940s.
Silent House has all the classic elements of a psychological thriller, a creepy house, an odd neighbor, and no access to electricity or phones. It’s a setup for a night full of mysterious noises, and the nagging feeling of being followed.
There was nothing new in this thriller that hasn’t been seen before, suspicious clanking upstairs, the main character,
Sarah (Elisabeth Olsen), is puzzled and goes to see without any type of weapon.
Though the audience expects it to not be rats, this movie goes deeper beyond the run of the mill killer out to torture you.
“I thought the movie was okay, the ending disappointed me,” Matt Gino said.
“It’s just like every other scary movie to me, it doesn’t stick out.”
The soundtrack resembled music used in old movies for aliens or UFOs when they would appear. Which created an eerie feeling that gave you the sense that something wasn’t right, only to realize eventually everything wasn’t right.
“I though the movie was very good,”
Jake Tillerman said. “It’s not anything I’ve seen before, especially with the ending.”
What was intriguing was the format of the camera angles, which seemed to portray only her point of view, and at times looked like clips from the Blair Witch Project. The camera did not leave more than four feet from the main character, and was held with an artistic feel.
Like all thrillers, it has potential to be a great film, and there’s a line that is crossed that causes the movie to be comical instead of distressing. The movie seemed to dance on the line, while there were times to scream, and other times to cock your head and have a chuckle.
“The main actress was really good,”
Rated: PG
Sarah (Elisabeth Olsen) sits in a corner to hide from the mysterious person who is following her. said Jennifer Kid. “She definitely acted in a way that I felt like I would have reacted if I were put in that situation, it was very real.”
There also were obvious clues thrown around in the entire movie, which helped you decipher the movie and guess the ending on your own. The lighting was mostly dim, with just the help of an electric lantern that she was holding, and the scene went pitched black more than once.
Credit is due with the flawless single take method used in this movie, though it wasn’t noticeable as an audience member.
Elisabeth Olsen proves her talent in this movie, although she had to carry most of
Rated: PG-13 the weight on her shoulders.
The plot in theory is very interesting, though it ended abruptly, baffling the audience making them to not be sure whether to leave, or wait for the rest of the movie that did not come. Though it seemed weird at times, it seemed to all make sense in the end with two plot twists that aren’t expected but tie all the loose ends together.
Unlike most thrillers, this movie was done artistically and left you with a disturbed feeling as you walked out. It also guaranteed moments when you will spill your popcorn, drink, or in my case, my notepad.
Rated: R
March 14, 2012
10
Opening March 16
Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube
Rated: R
Running Time: 109 minutes
Genre: Action /Comedy
This Weekend: $ 39.1 million
Total Gross: $123.7 million
This Weekend: $30.6 million
Total Gross: $101.2 million
This Weekend: $11.5 million
Total Gross: $47.4 million
Director: Matt Piedmont
Starring: Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna
Rated: R
Genre: Comedy
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Universal Pictures and Illumination
Entertainment / MCT
Frank Conner/Disney / MCT

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FEATURES
March 14, 2011
11
By Edward Mueller emueller@valenciavoice.com
A Civil War vet saves the red planet in the Disney film
“John Carter,” written and directed by Andrew Stanton. Taylor Kitsch plays the superhuman title character who faces off against fate and the technologically advanced immortals that brought him to Mars.
Lynn Collins is a kind-hearted princess named Dejah
Thoris of Helium who finds herself betrothed to the evil warlord Sab Than of Zodanga as the result of peace negotiations that would save her people. Dominic West commands the role of Sab Than with an unyielding fist.
Willem Dafoe voice acts Tars Tarkas, the king of a tall, greenish-brown-skinned creature race native to Mars, known as the Tharks. The Tharks are a species of warrior barbarians who stand on neutral ground in the war between the humans.
An immortal shape-shifter named Matai Shang holds the strings that keep mankind in war-lock, and was also responsible for Carter’s arrival on Mars. Mark Strong masters the true form of the quasi-omnipotent being that empowers the invading armies of Zodanga.
Carter wakes up on Mars and embarks on a quest to return to Earth when he is captured at least once by each of the factions in the story and gives his allegiance to nobody but himself. The unsuspecting hero of the tale employs superhuman strength granted him by the lower gravity level of Mars.
Carter goes through some changes of heart after he falls in love with the princess and learns of the secrets behind the race of shape-shifters. His fondness for the princess entices him to crusade against puppet masters that fuel the strife between the races.
The digital art and magic of Disney fulfills the human eye’s addiction to graphic candy. The entirely animated race of Tharks and the many other animated species of life combine with Martian landscapes and the solar wind-powered vessels that litter their skies.
A comfortable pace is met with action scenes keep the film moving while mixing directly in with some of the plot development aspects of the movie. Raul Persaud commented after the film that his favorite part was “the fighting!”
The Martian cultures are rich and deeply intricate making the plot difficult for some viewers to follow. “It was good, but a little bit complicated,” said audience member Sonja Persaud.
Disney is likely to rake in the dough with this film as with any other movie it produces, yet may find competition in “Dr.
Seuss’ The Lorax” for the number one spot for the weekend.
“It’s a tough call between ‘John Carter’ and ‘Lorax,’at our theater,” said Chad Pratt, manager at the Touchstar Cinemas in the Southchase Plaza. “But I think ‘John Carter’ will do better overall.”
Star Taylor Kitsch, front, tries to avoid creatures in “John Carter.”

www.ValenciaVoice.com
FEATURES
By Aaron Davison
Special to Valencia Voice
The trend to remake classic retro TV shows from the 60s, 70s and 80s on the silver screen continues with the newest comedy from Columbia Pictures, “21 Jump Street.” Loosely based on an old
TV series of the same name, the difference is there was more drama in the show; the movie is a comedic take on the 1980s program.
Scheduled to be released in theaters nationwide on Friday,
March 16, the film stars Jonah Hill (“Superbad”) and Channing
Tatum (“The Vow”). Their characters are two bumbling undercover detectives trying to combat drug dealers in a high school.
The “21 Jump Street” series originated in 1987 and ran as a weekly hour-long program until 1990 on Fox network; it was the first series of its kind. The show’s plot involved young undercover police officers that disguised themselves as students in high school to bust teens selling drugs.
Actor Jeff Yagher portrayed the leader of the Jump Street detectives, but was soon replaced by Johnny Depp. With the change of the main character, the series took off as a wild TV-ratings success.
In the 2012 remake, the entertaining buffoonery and banter between the two nimble-witted, supposed high school students leads to many hilarious moments. The two detectives attended high school together a few years earlier and came away with different experiences, which plays out in the character development.
Hill’s character Norton was a geeky student who was bullied by Tatum’s character, Greg, who was a goof-off and slacker that hung out with the popular crowd. When the two cross each other’s paths at the Metropolitan Police Academy, Greg doesn’t get the best grades on tests and Norton struggles with his physical fitness.
March 14, 2011
12
Therefore, Greg turns to Norton for help and vica-versa; Norton tutors Greg to get his test-scores up while Greg schools Norton in athletics. The two quickly become friends as they graduate from the academy as police officers -- but not the type you would expect.
As a result, they start their new job as bike cops patrolling a park. Their first bust they take down a giant, scary biker for possession of drugs; but their inappropriate misconduct in public causes them to be called into the boss’ office. They are then sent to the program which makes them high school undercovers.
This is when Ice Cube’s character, Captain Dickson, is introduced. Ice Cube’s high usage of curse words in the movie is distracting, but he still manages to be humorous. Dickson tells Norton and Greg that there is a new synthetic drug being sold and the ring leader is a high school student. Eventually, they infiltrate the drug ring and discover who the mastermind is by pretending to be drug dealers. The last scene of the movie is the funniest by far, with lots of fast-paced action and a surprise ending.
While having low expectations, “21 Jump Street” will probably be one of the most outrageous movies this spring. The plot is basically about two guys who seem to hate each other, but after crossing paths again develop a newfound respect. The casting of the main characters was dead on, as Hill, Tatum and Ice Cube all give terrific performances. As far as the action scenes are concerned, there are few, but the comedy makes up for the loss of edge-of-your-seat excitement.
Phil Lord, mostly known for the hit animated 2009 film, “Cloudy
With a Chance of Meatballs,” directs the film. Now with the addition of “21 Jump Street” to his resume of comedies, Lord can be now known for directing another extremely funny film (although the movie could have done without the extreme amount of bad language).
Audience members who stick around for the credits can see bloopers of the actors messing up their lines. One thing is for certain: Everyone who sees this film should be prepared to laugh out loud until their stomachs hurt.
From left, Ice Cube, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star in the action comedy “21 Jump Street.”
Hill and Tatum work undercover as high school students hoping to bring down a synthetic drug ring.

www.ValenciaVoice.com
FEATURES
By James Tutten jtutten@valenciavoice.com
Irreverent comic Lewis Black brought his unique brand of impassioned political satire to the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Fla. on March 2.
Black is currently roaming the nation with long time friend and fellow comedian John
Bowman as part of the “Running on Empty” tour. He kicked off the Florida portion of his tour at the 2012 South Beach Comedy Festival in Miami, which premiered Will Ferrell’s newest comedy, “Casa de mi Padre,” which opens nationwide on March 16.
“South Beach was fun,” said Black.
“What’s great is I got to see some comics I really enjoy and don’t get to spend a lot of time with.”
Black’s comedic style is no holds barred, and he is known for his wild rants about the general stupidity of people he observes in daily life, including but not limited to public figures involved with the political process on both sides of the aisle.
“President Black 2012,” one fan shouted out, as Mr. Black started off his quick introduction and warning to his fans. The warning was if you don’t agree with his
Lewis Black performs his unique comedy at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Fla. message, you are free to leave, because no one is making you sit through his show.
He then shot down any idea of running for political office because, as he described it, both political parties in Washington are full of awful people he wants no part of.
The current and former Republican candidates were given no chance to escape the wrath of Lewis Black. He named them out, one by one, and picked them apart for having extreme views, questionable pasts or just far out ideas. Mitt Romney is a
“soulless elitist,” Newt Gingrich is a “disgusting womanizer,” and Rick Santorum is …. Rick Santorum.
“He has a niche for showing what is wrong with America, and what he gets upset about isn’t worth anyone getting angry over,” said audience member Gareth Reynolds.
The 63-year-old Black spent a lot of time pointing out the tremendous underaccomplishments of his generation, including a legacy of massive debt, endless wars, a polluted environment, and a broken system of government that no one believes in anymore, not to mention so called celebrities whose only claim to fame is being able to hang out and make stuff up that doesn’t make any sense.
“I think Lewis Black is so incredibly funny, and I just love his political humor,” said audience member Kimberly Landrau.
According to Black, one of the biggest issues his generation has failed on is the fact that marijuana is still illegal in America. He points out that it’s the largest selling cash crop in the nation, and if it was taxed and regulated we could, “Fix the national debt problem the old fashioned way, with a bake sale.”
The overuse of modern technology in our daily lives was another hot button issue that Black ranted on about. He generally raged about how complicated everything is with email, Facebook, Twitter and everything else in the fast-paced social media era. Black said he tries to embrace this new technology, but fails to understand the outright obsession with digital farms and social-less networking where eye contact is considered avant-garde.
“Technology is one of those things you really have to live with,” said Black. “It makes you feel old if you get left behind,
March 14, 2012
13
A rare opportunity for fans to meet, get autographs, and take photos with comedian after his show.
because it’s such a major part of this world.”
After the show audience members were treated to an autograph and meetand-greet session with Black. Fans posed for pictures and received Black’s signature on any number of collectible items that were sold at the venue. Lewis Black’s newest special “In God we Rust” is going to premiere on the EPIX network on March
17. He is also a frequent guest on the widely popular Daily Show on Comedy Central with his “Back in Black” segments.

www.ValenciaVoice.com
FEATURES
March 14, 2012
14
By Neda Hamdan nhamdan@valenciavoice.com
If you’re an active user of Twitter, than you’ve probably noticed the increased number of pictures that are being posted through Instagram. Though it seems like just another website for posting pictures on
Twitter, it goes way beyond that.
Instagram is a simple program that can be used to take photos; it has 16 different custom-designed filters such as sepia or grainy black, with quirky names that gives the photo a vintage feel.
There is also a tilt-shift option which gives the photo a new perspective. After customizing the pictures to your liking, you have the choice to post on Twitter, Tumblr, Posterous, Flickr and many other websites. It’s a social integration, a combination of Flickr and Twitter. You can follow your friends as well as celebrities and other people in the world, and have the option of ‘heart’, or to comment on their pictures. In regards to the different buttons, there is Popular, which displays all the photos that received the most attention during that time; a
News button that shows all the comments or likes you have gotten on your pictures; a Share
button, which is self explanatory; and a Profile button, which allows you to control the privacy and settings of your account.
The most appealing part of this app is the simplicity of it. There is no purpose for a tutorial, nor is it equipped with a dozen buttons.
Shortly after downloading it and signing up, it’s unbelievably easy to upload photos, design them and post them on any website chosen.
Currently only available for the iPhone, there is an anticipated Android version, though the release date has not been announced. The app is free to download though it might not be for much longer. The
Instagram app looks to be just the beginning of a new social network that allows users to express themselves using photography.
By Matt McNab
McClatchy-Tribune
March begins the season of all things green, what with spring and St. Patty’s Day both making their respective appearances. But if you want to be green in the eco-sense, but don’t know where to start, the answer may be as simple as changing a light bulb.
The Light Bulb Finder app, created by Eco
Hatchery, won the EPA’s Best Overall app award last year. The app works as a guide on switching from dated incandescent light bulbs to environmentally safe light bulbs.
Although eco-friendly light bulbs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs, energy-efficient bulbs have their perks: they last 25 times longer than a regular incandescent bulb on average.
The app narrows down the bulbs in your home by having you pick the fixture type, bulb type, base type, bulb features and number of watts.
To accurately calculate how much money you save, the app asks you to estimate how many hours the light stays on and how many bulbs are needed.
From there, the app suggests an energy-efficient bulb, giving the price and the amount saved over the bulb’s lifetime.
In addition to giving the amount of money saved, the app also calculates how much switching from the incandescent to eco-friendly bulbs cuts carbon dioxide emissions, by taking the user’s ZIP code to find out the emissions amount and cost of electricity (per kilowatt-hour).
Eco Hatchery found the typical household could save between $110 and $120 and cut 1,360 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The Light Bulb Finder app by Eco Hatchery is available now for free on Apple and Android smartphones and devices.
— MCT Campus
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Harlem Globetrotter player Scooter Christensen (16) spins the classic red, white, and blue basketball at UCF arena.
The Trotters often clown around and dance randomly throughout the game to keep fans on their feet and moving.
FEATURES
March 14, 2012
15
By James Tutten jtutten@valenciavoice.com
The Harlem Globetrotters have a long tradition of getting young kids excited about playing basketball and staying active in life. In addition to all of the activity is the message about the importance of having a good time.
“We’re not here to teach important life lessons, we’re just here just to have some fun,” said Globetrotters head coach Jimmy Blacklock.
“We’re not the role models; the parents are the role models, but we just try to exemplify how much fun sports can be.”
Though it is understandable that children who focus on sports will face challenges and pressure later in life, the primary message here is that sports should always be fun first.
Before the game, the team’s lovable mascot, Globie, along with other Trotter team members kicked off a break-dancing exposition full of radical jumps and wild spin moves.
This was a great start to a show that takes pride in classifying itself more with entertainment than sports, with choreographed basketball, skilled dancing and unpredictable mascot antics.
The Globetrotters and their opponents, The International Elites, started with some brief warm-ups.
The ‘Trotters took center court for their individual introductions with moments of ball-spinning and trickery of every conceivable fashion. This was set to the team’s classic signature song, “Sweet Georgia Brown” in its catchy, whistled melody.
“It’s great for the kids to come out with their family for a few hours and just have fun,” said Globetrotter
Nathaniel “Big Easy” Lofton. Lofton acted as the voice of the team through a mic during the game, explaining why the referees need to lighten up and appealing to the fans in various ways.
Fans of exciting slam dunks, flamboyant behavior and deep shots on the basket were treated to that and much more. Fast-paced passing between ‘Trotters were often followed by high-flying dunks at every angle.
Another unique addition were areas deep in the court that were worth four points when activated. This led to a score that quickly spread from one side to the other.
“All three of my boys love basketball, and when I saw they were coming to town I had to bring them out,” said Mike Brown, a fan. Brown recounted how he loved the Globetrotters when he was a child. He said he was thrilled to now bring his family out to enjoy the experience.
Fan interaction was a large portion of the entire event. Young fans were allowed onto the court to shoot free throws for team jerseys, as contests and comic routines were added to the diverse mix.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect beforehand, but I absolutely loved the fan interaction with the show,” said audience member Ashley Miller.
Miller and her family took part in a giant dance-off on the court before the game was even over.
The Globetrotters stayed true to their near perfect record with a sizable win over their opponents. The final tally thrilled the scores of young fans that rushed to the ground floor of the UCF Arena to meet with and get autographs from their favorite
Globetrotter players.
This crowd-pleasing entertainment sports team has been beloved by countless numbers of fans during their more than 85 years of history.
To follow the team and see when and where to see them perform next, go to their official website at www.harlemglobetrotters.com
Young fans line up after the game to get free autographs on Trotters memorabilia.

www.ValenciaVoice.com
March 15
Domino Tournament
East Campus
Cafeteria
5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
March 15
Chinese Festival
East Campus
Mall Area
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
March 15
GSA Open Mic
West Campus
7-114
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
FEATURES
March 16
Dr. Kauk Reception
East Campus
Bldg. 3 - Atrium
2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
3/16 - 4/14
Universal Studios Mardi Gras
Universal Studios at Universal Orlando
March 16-17, 7:30 p.m.
Courtesy of legion11.com
3/15
The Unveiling: Legion 11 presents a launch party and art show
Club 57 West
6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
3/15
Orlando Magazine’s 10th Annual Paint the Town Art Show Opening
Reception
The Gallery at Avalon Island
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
3/16
To Write Love on her Arms Autograph Signing
Ron Jon Surf Shop, Cocoa Beach
3:00 p.m.
3/16-3/18
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
Park Avenue at Morse Boulevard
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Courtesy of wpsaf.com
Courtesy of madcowtheatre.org
3/15-3/25
Hedda Gabler
Mad Cow Theatre
March 15-17, 8:00 p.m.
March 18, 3:00 p.m.
3/14-6/16
The Arts of Doris Leeper - Retrospective
Atlantic Center for the Arts
Tuesdays-Fridays, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
3/14-3/31
Christine Peloquin: Part of the Process
Arts on Douglas
Tuesdays-Fridays, 10:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Courtesy of artsondouglas.net
March 17
Portfolio Photography
Workshop
East Campus
3-113
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
March 17
Kimberly Elam Guest
Speaker
East Campus
5-112
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Courtesy of thebeacham.com
3/19
Bone Thugs N Harmony
The Beacham
8:00 p.m.
Courtesy of thebeacham.com
March 14, 2012
March 20
Let’s Get Motivated!
East Campus
8-101
1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.
3/17
Everyday I...
(CD Release Show)
The Social
8:00 p.m.
Courtesy of thesocial.org
3/18
Kasabian
The Beacham
7:00 p.m.
Courtesy of thebeacham.com
3/20
Asking Alexandria
The Beacham
6:00 p.m.
16

www.ValenciaVoice.com
SPORTS 17
March 14, 2012
By Izzy Gould and Omar Kelly
Sun Sentinel
Free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning met with Denver Broncos President
John Elway on Friday in Colorado.
The Denver Post cited two NFL sources, and later published pictures of Manning at the Broncos' training facility on its website. According to one Post source,
Manning, who was waived by the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday afternoon, will visit the Arizona Cardinals and the
Miami Dolphins in the coming days.
Kansas City Chiefs chairman Clark
Hunt told NBC on Friday they are also actively pursuing Manning.
A decision from Manning could come by Tuesday's start of free agency, which would help his new team know exactly how much salary cap space it has to sign other free agents.
A source told the Sun Sentinel the Dolphins are in the mix to sign Manning, and that the team hopes to sit down with the
NFL's only four-time MVP soon.
Miami has $15 million in salary-cap space to pursue free agents.
The Cardinals are $10.8 million over the cap once Calais Campbell signs his franchise tag. That doesn't include an $8 million cap hit the Cardinals would take if they release Kevin Kolb before his roster bonus is due next week. That means
Arizona would have to rework numerous contracts to create cap space.
The Chiefs have $32 million in cap space, but the Broncos lead all the contenders with $43 million in cap space, which means they have the funds to add
Manning and any other players he desires.
Denver's interest in Manning is not a big surprise, but it signifies a possible shift from what Elway, the Bronco's president, told reporters last month at the NFL Scouting Combine about starter
Tim Tebow.
"I was really happy with his progress,"
Elway said of Tebow last month in Indianapolis. "I know Tim is going to work hard this offseason, and we're hoping that he's going to be the guy for a long, long time."
Tebow signed a five-year contract in
2010 after the Broncos selected the 2007
Heisman Trophy winner and former Florida Gator with the 25th pick of the NFL
Draft. He ultimately won over Broncos' fans last season after Kyle Orton guided
Denver to a 1-4 start.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, left, announces that the team is releasing quarterback
Peyton Manning after a 14-year run that included one Super Bowl title and four MVP awards.
Tebow replaced Orton, and guided the
Broncos to the second round of the playoffs. His unorthodox quarterback style was overshadowed by one thing wins.
He guided the Broncos to an 8-5 record in games he started and touted faith as the driving force behind some of his remarkable victories, which captivated the nation.
"The reality is that Tim is a very good competitor, a very good player," Fox said then. "He led us to the playoffs. He's a young player, No. 1, at a position that takes some time. If you look through history, there are a lot of great quarterbacks that took some time, and we're in the middle of that process."
The addition of Manning could give
Tebow a true quarterback mentor to work with daily to help continue development of his mechanics.
Manning, who will turn 36 on March
24, is inching closer to the end of his career.
Tebow would offer a solid No. 2 should
Manning miss any playing time, or even an insurance policy if Manning cannot return to form.
Manning's free agency has fueled excitement in South Florida for those hoping the Dolphins can sign him. He came to Miami, where he has a home, after his final Colts' news conference to announce his release from Indianapolis after 14 seasons. Manning was due a $28 million roster bonus this week, but the uncertainty of his health after he reportedly had four neck surgeries forced him to miss the 2011 season led to his release.
Manning, who led the Colts to the Super Bowl in 2006, has thrown for 54,828 yards, 399 touchdowns, 198 interceptions for his career.
— MCT Campus

www.ValenciaVoice.com
SPORTS 18
March 14, 2012
By Michael Muskal
Los Angeles Times
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier were dismissed last year because of a failure of leadership in handling reports of child-sex abuse by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, the school’s board of trustees said Monday.
In what the trustees called a report to students, faculty and alumni, the board gave a chronology of its actions and justified the firing of the top officials because of what it described as the men’s failure to deal with charges involving
Sandusky. The former coach reportedly was seen by a graduate assistant coach abusing a boy in a shower at the university. Sandusky is awaiting trial on state charges of sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period.
The removal of Paterno, an icon at the university and in national sporting circles, sparked boisterous demonstrations at the campus at the time. On Monday, the trustees defended their November dismissal of
Paterno, saying he had fulfilled his obligation to notify his superior but had not done enough to address the situation. Paterno died in January of lung cancer.
According to the trustees, the 2011 state grand jury report on Sandusky showed that a graduate assistant coach, later identified as Mike McQueary, went to Paterno on March 2, 2002, and told the head coach that he had seen Sandusky “in the Lasch
Building showers fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy.”
Sandusky had left the university coaching ranks in 1999 but would bring children to the school on field trips. The youths were part of a charity he’s founded.
Paterno told his superior, Penn State’s then-Athletic Director Tim Curley, of the incident the next day but did not call the police. There was no further action until the grand jury findings in 2011.
“We determined that his (Paterno’s) decision to do his minimum legal duty and not to do more to follow up constituted a failure of leadership by Coach Paterno,” the trustees wrote in their report.
“The board spent hours on conference calls between Saturday, Nov. 5, and Tuesday, Nov. 8, discussing appropriate action and our fiduciary responsibility as the
Trustees. On Wednesday evening, Nov.
9, we met in person in State College. At about 9 p.m., we unanimously made the difficult decision that Coach Paterno’s failure of leadership required his removal as football coach.”
The board also apologized for the way the dismissal was communicated to Paterno.
“We are sorry for the unfortunate way we had to deliver the news on the telephone about an hour later to Coach
Paterno. However, we saw no better alternative. Because Coach Paterno’s home was surrounded by media representatives, photographers and others, we did not believe there was a dignified, private and secure way to send board representatives to meet with him there. Nor did we believe it would be wise to wait until the next morning, since we believed it was probable that Coach Paterno would hear the news beforehand from other sources, which would be inappropriate.”
Paterno missed his team’s last three regular-season games because he was fired.
The trustees also cited a failure of leadership in their dismissal of Spanier as president. He continues to be a tenured professor at Penn State, the trustees said.
“We determined on Nov. 9 that Dr. Spanier should be removed because he failed to meet his leadership responsibilities to the Board and took insufficient action after learning of a 2002 incident involving” Sandusky. “This failure of leadership included insufficiently informing the Board about his knowledge of the 2002 incident. He also made or was involved in press announcements between
Nov. 5-9 that were without authorization of the Board or contrary to its instructions.”
The trustees said Spanier asked the board for a vote of confidence on Nov. 9,
2011, but the board was unable to do so.
“We voted that evening unanimously to remove him as president and informed him of that decision.”
In closing, the trustees said they remain committed to “remembering the children who were allegedly assaulted over the last 10 or more years, many on
Penn State’s University Park campus, and whose lives may well be scarred for years to come. The University has offered and will provide counseling and related health care services. We have contributed financially to organizations dedicated to protecting victims of sexual assault and child abuse.”
— MCT Campus
Joseph E. McGettigan III, speaks as Joe Amendola, back, attorney for Jerry Sandusky listens.
McGettigan III, Pennsylvania senior deputy attorney general, surrounded by media outside March 12.